Giuliani Is Resolute on Extending His Term

By JENNIFER STEINHAUER

Published: October 13, 2001

Now that the Democratic mayoral primary runoff is over, Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani is making it clear that he meant what he said about wanting to stay.

A few weeks ago, he summoned the mayoral candidates to his command center and told them that he wanted a three-month term extension, and that if they did not agree, he might try to go around the city's term limit laws and run again. Michael R. Bloomberg and Mark Green said sure, and Fernando Ferrer said no.

But now that Mr. Ferrer is no longer a candidate, the mayor wants the other two men to make good on their promises.

''Mike and Mark Green both agreed to the idea of a three-month additional transition,'' the mayor said during a guest appearance on Howard Stern's morning radio show. ''And maybe we can still convince the Democratic State Legislature to go along with it now that the two candidates agree to it.''

Charles Carrier, a spokesman for Sheldon Silver, speaker of the State Assembly, said: ''The Assembly Democratic majority's position on extension of the mayor's term has not changed. It will not be considered.''

Mr. Bloomberg said yesterday that he still supported the idea of an extended transition, but would honor whatever the State Legislature deemed legal.

Mr. Green, for his part, said that he was still supportive of Mr. Giuliani's idea, but that because the Legislature was demurring, ''I am now focusing on running to win and planning a transition for what will be Jan. 1.''

Mayor Giuliani used to think term limits were a great idea, he admitted yesterday during the Howard Stern radio show. But when they started to affect him, he changed his mind. ''It seemed to me you stretch it out by three months and it gives the new mayor a chance to select all his commissioners and get them on board.''